The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-10-14
Letter from ruusson owen.


Through the kindness of Mr.. II. d.
Quick we print the following letter from
MIR. Hudson Owen, Of Berwick, whose
many friends will be glad to hear from him.
MIR. Owen is taking an extended trip In the
West1
MELRosR, Washington Territory,l
Sept. 90, 1885.
1 arrived here Saturday, Gath. 1t is a
fine warm day. am now at my brothers.
The place lies In beautiful valley, sur
rounded by low hills with gradual slope,
and as soon as you leave the prairie you
get to the finest timber cedar. l have
measured some trees that are 28 feet
around the trunk 4 feet from the ground,
and not single limb for more than 100
feet; straight as an arrow, and solid from
top to bottom. The soil is very rich. My
brother owns the biggest part Of the prairie
and considerable Of timber land. He has
4S acres In one field, with a fine fence
around it, all out with timothy this season.
Being rather dry, he only cut 1876 tons OF
hay That is ready sale at $50 per ton.
What he has already sold he got $25 per
ton for. AT his door stands soft maple;
| took leaf off of 1t IA inches across in
any way. There are lots Of those yellow
salmon in South creek. They are fine, in
size from one to three feet. 1t is fun to see
them go up the riffs. II you were here /
could show fifty in five minutes. My
brothers dog will plung in on the riffs and
bring big fellow out from two TO three
feet long, as quick as dog could catch a
pig. There is plenty of coal here and the
trains are made up here. The receipts Of
this station are about twelve thousand a
month; my nephew is the agent. 1t is 25
| miles from the Sound. You can see Ia
coma mountain, about 20 miles to the
south, with snow clad top the year
around. 1t Is 14400 feet high. My nephew
| has fine apples and nice yellow plums,
fully as large as a common hens egg.
They are just grand. The climate is fine.
They have the finest kind of cars, sleeping
aud dining car; meals, rs cents, and can't
be beat at the Exchange or Valley Houses.
The other day while at dinner ordered
bottle OF California wine for my brother
and myself 1t was brought at once. The
waiter asked II he could do anything else
for me. "Oh yes, bring me glass Of but
ter milk" II was on hand at once. /
! stopped of at Helena and visited several
gold mines. About $50 miles short of Hell
lena l found my son, who is engaged with
| party OF engineers, some 35 miles south
Of the main line of the Northern Pacific at
or % miles beyond C9ur de Leon City,
| over and beyond Ceur de Leon Mountain
and beyond Fourth of July Guloh. Here
l met COW boy and got him to go out
that night and bring him in. He under
took the job and brought HIM In the next
morning at eight O'Clock, both mounted on
fine ponies. At three O'Clock he left me
| for his camp. He is looking well and in
| the employment Of the Northern Pacific
railroad laying out branch roads. At Fond
de Long City, Fort Shuman is erected, and
| Government troops are stationed. This
place is at the foot OF Cord de Roy Lake, a
beautiful sheet Of water, lake, forty miles
| long, and has steam boats on it. The boats
make daily trips on the lake and river of
100 miles. was on one that was $50 feet
in length and 25 feet in width. She was a
stern wheeler and had two fine engines.
Just across the lake is the Spoke and In
dian Reservation. I was oyer on 1t.
There are gold mines in this vicinity and
saw carloads of gold dust in common sacks
about as large as a ham sack. They are
very heavy shipped to Salt Lake sometimes.
This is just beyond the Rocky and 1850
miles west of St. Paul. / am now Just
1850 miles west of home. l am not in the
least tired and am feeling very well. 1t is
now five o'clock p. m. and eight o'clock at
your home, almost my bed time at home.
We intend to go in day or two out to the
Sound, and take the steam boat for Seattle
and other points on the Sound really
don't know just when will start home.
We talk Of returning by the way OF Cali
fornia and Omaha, but we have not de-
cided as to that yet. My brother, from
Green Lake, was coming with me and left
my daughter, Anna, at Cold Water, Mich
with her sister, Mrs. Q. s. Walcott.
| Yours, H. OWEN.
L